A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE 



traced, especially at Sanvy Gate, where the ditch outside the wall could be 

 seen in the gardens thereabouts, 6 and in his plan of the town he marks the 

 site of the Roman walls along the streets above mentioned. With regard to the 

 site of the west wall there has been some doubt, but the general consensus of 

 expert opinion is that it ran in line north and south with the great mass of 

 Roman masonry called the Jewry Wall still existing, and traces of foundations 

 which are supposed to have been continuations of the same to the north and 

 south have been found, but unfortunately have been insufficiently recorded. 4 



The sites of the Roman gates on the north, east, and south sides are 

 uncertain, but it is probable that the gates of the mediaeval town, namely, 

 North Gate, East Gate or Humberstone Gate, and South Gate, corresponded 

 in position with those of the Roman era. The Western Gate of the mediaeval 

 town is shown in Speed's map of 1 660 to be standing at the Jewry Wall, and 

 there can be little doubt that this Roman building, still in existence, was the 

 West Gate of the Roman town. ' As this has a plan 7 quite unlike that of 

 the usual type of city gates, and is also the only existing relic in situ above 

 ground of Roman Ratae, it may be well to give some little detail of it. 



' It must be understood that the town wall ran for its length in a con- 

 tinuous line from north to south, but in the centre of that line for a space of 

 74 ft. it was carried on at a less thickness than usual, viz. about 4 ft. 

 Against this length of 74 ft. an arcade of four arches was built, either butting 

 against the diminished wall or bonded into it. These arches are about 5 ft. in 

 depth ; s the southern is 14 ft. 6 in. in width, the next two 12 ft. each, and the 

 northern is only 6 ft. 3 in. wide. Between the two middle ones the pier 

 dividing them is of considerable size, showing a face 1 1 ft. wide in which is a 

 niche probably intended for the statue of some divinity, possibly of Minerva, 

 the protectress of the gates of cities. 9 



' In the back wall of these two middle arches are the two gateways. They 

 are of small size, only about 7 ft. 6 in. wide, and are very singularly placed, 

 for instead of piercing the back wall in the centre of each arch, in the south 

 arch the gateway is jammed against the south angle, while in the north it is 

 similarly butted against the north angle. The reason for this arrangement 

 may be found perhaps in the necessity for providing sufficient room for the 

 doors of these gateways when they were thrown open to lie back against the 

 masonry. One fact seems to confirm this view, which is that the plinth or 

 base, having a general projection of i ft. 2 in., which ran at the foot of the 

 arcade, is cut off at the north and south angles of the middle arches respec- 

 tively. Had it been continued without these breaks it would have blocked 

 the gateways. How the doors of the gateways were hung it is now 

 impossible to say from the injuries the structure has received. Of the two 

 outer arches little can be said. The southern is somewhat wider than the 

 others, but does not differ from them except in depth. It has been supposed 



* Stukeley, Ifia. Cur. i, 103. 



' In 1876, whilst making a tunnel from Messrs. Rust's yard, St. Nicholas Street, to the River Soar, it is 

 said that the ancient ditch or fosse was pierced which marked the western boundary of Ratae. A massive 

 stone wall was, it is said, cut through at a depth of 33 ft. from the surface, and was thought to be part of the west 

 wall ; Leic. drtb. Stc. v, 41 *. 



' The following account of the Jewry Wall or West Gate has been contributed by Mr. G. E. Fox, 

 Hon. M.A. Oxon. F.S.A. 



With the exception of the southernmost, which is 7 ft. 6 in. deep. 



Such a niche may be seen at the Sea Gate of Pompeii ; it originally held a statue of Minerva. 



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